Do you know your risk for heart attack?

Published: Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 12:30 a.m.

As a woman in her 50s living a healthy lifestyle, Kim Waldrup of Bourg never suspected she was at risk for heart disease.

But at age 55, difficulty breathing and shortness of breath sent her to the emergency room at Terrebonne General Medical Center. She was shocked to learn she had a heart attack in her sleep and was experiencing heart failure.

Earlier in the week, Waldrup began feeling pain in her left shoulder blade and neck. Her left arm was aching and would go numb, with the pain increasing and lasting for longer intervals. At the time, she attributed the pain to an old injury and was prescribed medicine to deal with it. She had no idea she was experiencing the symptoms of a heart attack.

February is American Heart Month, and heart disease is the leading cause of death in Louisiana and the United States. But many people don’t understand their risk.

A common myth about heart disease is it only affects the elderly, but statistics show cardiovascular disease affects 40 percent of men and women ages 40-59.

Another common misconception is that heart disease is a man’s disease, but nearly twice as many women in the United States die from cardiovascular disease than from cancer.

As a healthy woman in her 50s, Waldrup never considered her own risk, but she worried about her husband and took him to a free cardiovascular screening at the Cardiovascular Institute of the South in Houma in July 2011. She was encouraged to receive a screening as well, and the test showed her cholesterol was very high. However, she still didn’t think she was at high risk because of her age and gender.

After her heart attack, an angiogram, which uses X-ray imaging and dye to see the arteries of the heart, determined she had four significantly blocked arteries, two of which were 99 percent blocked.

Waldrup received stents, or narrow tubes, in these arteries to restore blood flow.

“I was shocked to learn that I had blockages to that extent at 55 years old,” Waldrup said. “I had strived to live a healthy lifestyle.”

What Waldrup didn’t take seriously was that she had two major risk factors: family history of heart disease and high cholesterol. Her father suffered two heart attacks, and though her cholesterol was high, she was not taking any medication.

With the help of her cardiologist, Waldrup was able to reach healthy cholesterol levels.

She has now resumed an active lifestyle and is thankful to be on a journey to better heart health.

“I am grateful to both Dr. Anil Chagarlamudi and Dr. Vinod Nair at CIS for helping to give me a second chance at the rest of my life,” she said.

She now encourages others, especially women, to know the risks and to prevent heart disease before it strikes.

“The first way to protect yourself is to learn your risk factors and talk about them with your cardiologist,” Waldrup said. “Women also tend to overlook their symptoms as I did. We cannot make the mistake of thinking that heart disease just happens to someone else.”

Risk factors for heart disease include family history of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as smoking, being overweight or being inactive. Common, well-known signs of heart attacks include chest pain or shortness of breath. But other symptoms may be present, particularly in women, such as tightness or squeezing of the chest; pain or discomfort in the arms, back, neck or jaw; nausea; lightheadedness; or cold sweats.

“The key to effectively prevent heart disease is education,” said Dr. Craig Walker, founder of the Cardiovascular Institute of the South. “Anyone with risk factors should consider the possibility of having heart disease regardless of the presence of symptoms.”

Looking back, Waldrup realized she should have acted sooner.

“We can only take care of those that we love if we are around to do it,” Waldrup said. “You must take an active role in saving your own life. We only get one heart, and sometimes we only get one chance to save it. Don’t blow that chance. Be a survivor.”

For information, call Cardiovascular Institute of the South at 1-800-425-2565 or visit www.cardio.com.

Nikki Buskey can be reached at 857-2205 or nicole.buskey@houmatoday.com.

<p>As a woman in her 50s living a healthy lifestyle, Kim Waldrup of Bourg never suspected she was at risk for heart disease. </p><p>But at age 55, difficulty breathing and shortness of breath sent her to the emergency room at Terrebonne General Medical Center. She was shocked to learn she had a heart attack in her sleep and was experiencing heart failure.</p><p>Earlier in the week, Waldrup began feeling pain in her left shoulder blade and neck. Her left arm was aching and would go numb, with the pain increasing and lasting for longer intervals. At the time, she attributed the pain to an old injury and was prescribed medicine to deal with it. She had no idea she was experiencing the symptoms of a heart attack.</p><p>February is American Heart Month, and heart disease is the leading cause of death in Louisiana and the United States. But many people don't understand their risk. </p><p>A common myth about heart disease is it only affects the elderly, but statistics show cardiovascular disease affects 40 percent of men and women ages 40-59.</p><p>Another common misconception is that heart disease is a man's disease, but nearly twice as many women in the United States die from cardiovascular disease than from cancer. </p><p>As a healthy woman in her 50s, Waldrup never considered her own risk, but she worried about her husband and took him to a free cardiovascular screening at the Cardiovascular Institute of the South in Houma in July 2011. She was encouraged to receive a screening as well, and the test showed her cholesterol was very high. However, she still didn't think she was at high risk because of her age and gender.</p><p>After her heart attack, an angiogram, which uses X-ray imaging and dye to see the arteries of the heart, determined she had four significantly blocked arteries, two of which were 99 percent blocked.</p><p>Waldrup received stents, or narrow tubes, in these arteries to restore blood flow.</p><p>“I was shocked to learn that I had blockages to that extent at 55 years old,” Waldrup said. “I had strived to live a healthy lifestyle.”</p><p>What Waldrup didn't take seriously was that she had two major risk factors: family history of heart disease and high cholesterol. Her father suffered two heart attacks, and though her cholesterol was high, she was not taking any medication.</p><p>With the help of her cardiologist, Waldrup was able to reach healthy cholesterol levels. </p><p>She has now resumed an active lifestyle and is thankful to be on a journey to better heart health. </p><p>“I am grateful to both Dr. Anil Chagarlamudi and Dr. Vinod Nair at CIS for helping to give me a second chance at the rest of my life,” she said. </p><p>She now encourages others, especially women, to know the risks and to prevent heart disease before it strikes. </p><p>“The first way to protect yourself is to learn your risk factors and talk about them with your cardiologist,” Waldrup said. “Women also tend to overlook their symptoms as I did. We cannot make the mistake of thinking that heart disease just happens to someone else.”</p><p>Risk factors for heart disease include family history of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as smoking, being overweight or being inactive. Common, well-known signs of heart attacks include chest pain or shortness of breath. But other symptoms may be present, particularly in women, such as tightness or squeezing of the chest; pain or discomfort in the arms, back, neck or jaw; nausea; lightheadedness; or cold sweats.</p><p>“The key to effectively prevent heart disease is education,” said Dr. Craig Walker, founder of the Cardiovascular Institute of the South. “Anyone with risk factors should consider the possibility of having heart disease regardless of the presence of symptoms.”</p><p>Looking back, Waldrup realized she should have acted sooner. </p><p>“We can only take care of those that we love if we are around to do it,” Waldrup said. “You must take an active role in saving your own life. We only get one heart, and sometimes we only get one chance to save it. Don't blow that chance. Be a survivor.”</p><p>For information, call Cardiovascular Institute of the South at 1-800-425-2565 or visit www.cardio.com. </p><p>Nikki Buskey can be reached at 857-2205 or nicole.buskey@houmatoday.com.</p>